Schools Development Authority Project Officer Carlo Castillo, Schools Development Authority CEO Marc Larkins, and Jersey City Public schoolsEducational Planner Diana Petolino Tuesday at the future home of Elementary School 3 at Laidlaw and Summit avenues.

JERSEY CITY - New Jersey's Schools Development Authority broke ground Tuesday for the Elementary School 3 Project in Jersey City.

Located at the corner of Laidlaw and Summit avenues, the 2.8 acre site had previously been home to industrial buildings. Once completed Elementary School 3 will be able to accommodate about 775 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The fourth new building to be constructed by the Schools Development Authority in Jersey City, Elementary School 3 will be approximately 122,000 square feet when completed and is scheduled to open in time for the 2016-2017 academic year.

Tricon Enterprises Inc. of Keyport has been awarded a $1.86 million general construction contract to complete the first phase of work at the site, which will include clearing the site and removing sub-surface footings, foundations, unsuitable soils, and underground storage tanks. Tricon is also responsible for remediating the land at the site. Demolition work is scheduled to be completed by this spring.

"The [Schools Development Authority] continues to aggressively address education facility needs in Jersey City with the advancement of the Elementary School 3 Project," said agency CEO Marc Larkins.

The Schools Development Authority has invested nearly $275 million in completed projects in Jersey City since the inception of the school construction program, including Frank R. Conwell Public School 3, Frank R. Conwell Middle School 4, and the Franklin L. Williams Middle School.

The Elementary School 3 Project was approved as part of the Schools Development Authority's 2011 Capital Portfolio.